Omaheke Region

Omaheke (Otjiherero: Sandveld) is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, the least populous region. Its capital is Gobabis. It lies in eastern Namibia on the border with Botswana and is the western extension of the Kalahari desert. The self-governed villages of Otjinene, Leonardville and Witvlei are situated in the region. As of 2020, Omaheke had 48,594 registered voters.[5]

Omaheke Region
Region
Location of the Omaheke Region in Namibia
Location of the Omaheke Region in Namibia
CountryNamibia
CapitalGobabis
Government
 • GovernorPijoo Nganate[1]
Area
[2]
 • Total84,981 km2 (32,811 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[3]
 • Total71,233
 • Density0.84/km2 (2.2/sq mi)
Time zoneSouth African Standard Time: UTC+2
HDI (2017)0.600[4]
medium · 10th

Economy and infrastructure
Typical Cattle Farm near Gobabis

Gobabis is the centre of this area and also its main business area, as it is linked with the capital of Namibia, Windhoek, by rail and the tarred B6 national road. This infrastructure serves as the main supply line for the region.

All the other population centres in the region are linked with Gobabis by road. Many other services are rendered from Gobabis to the region, such as the Police Divisional Headquarters, which is situated in Gobabis. Clinics in the region are served by medical practitioners based in Gobabis, and there are two hospitals and a clinic serving the region.

The agricultural patterns of this region is to a large extent homogenous. Most of the 900 commercial and 3,500 communal farmers in this area are cattle breeders. A regional office of the Ministry of Agriculture, serving the whole region, is based in Gobabis.

Hunting, including trophy hunting, is one of the major sources of income for the region. This takes place mainly in the winter months, from June to August. During these months, tourists from the northern hemisphere can be seen in the area, enjoying the mild and dry winter climate and collecting trophies.

In 2013 Omaheke had 42 government schools with a total of 18,365 pupils.[6]

Politics

Upon independence of Namibia, Hereroland East was absorbed into Omaheke Region.[7] The region comprises seven constituencies:[8]

Presidential elections

In the 2004 presidential election, the Omaheke Region supported SWAPO's Hifikepunye Pohamba with 13,005 votes (46%) but the Ohangwena Region native did not win a majority of the votes in the region. National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO)'s Kuaima Riruako, paramount chief of the Herero people, received over 7,000 votes (25%), and the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA)'s Katuutire Kaura received over 3,700 votes (13%). Only in the much more populated Khomas Region and neighboring Otjozondjupa Region did Riruako gain more votes, and in no other region did NUDO's candidate gain a higher percentage of the votes.[9]

Regional elections

In the 2015 regional elections SWAPO obtained 54% of the total votes (2010: 47%) and won four of the seven constituencies. NUDO obtained 23% of the total votes (2010: 26%)[5] and won Aminuis and Otjinene, while Otjombinde was won by an independent candidate.[10][11] Although SWAPO's support dropped to 44% of the total votes in the 2020 regional election, it won five of the seven constituencies, while NUDO (23% total) kept its strongholds Otjinene and Aminuis.[5]

Governors

Demographics

According to the 2012 Namibia Labour Force Survey, unemployment in the Omaheke Region is 34.1%.[17]

Language

According to the 2011 census, 43% of the population speak Otjiherero, 30% speak Nama/Damara and 8% speak Afrikaans at home.[3]

Characteristics

In the east, Omaheke borders are three districts of Botswana:

Domestically, it borders the following regions:

Omaheke is traversed by the northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude.[18]

A large part of this region is known as the Sandveld. The northeastern part of the region is still very much wilderness.

Anthropologically, almost the entire Ovambanderu and Gobabis-Juǀwa ethnic groups reside in the region. Furthermore, it is a rich cultural area for Herero, Damara-Nama, Tswana, Afrikaners and Germans.

One of its notable event is the annual Meat Festival.

History

On 11 August 1904, a German armed force with artillery and machine guns, which had encircled the Herero who had fled to the Waterberg in Namibia, attacked and forced the survivors to flee to the Omaheke desert, where large numbers died. Those who tried to emerge from the desert were killed by German patrols along the perimeter of the Omaheke.[19] This was the turning point in the Herero and Namaqua Genocide.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Omaheke.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Omaheke.

References
  1. "Goodbye". Namibian Sun. 10 April 2020. p. 1.
  2. "Namibia's Population by Region". Election Watch. Institute for Public Policy Research (1): 3. 2013.
  3. "Omaheke 2011 Census Regional Profile" (PDF). Statistics Namibia. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  4. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  5. "Regional Council 2020 Election Results". Interactive map. Electoral Commission of Namibia. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  6. Miyanicwe, Clemans; Kahiurika, Ndanki (27 November 2013). "School counsellors overstretched". The Namibian. p. 1.
  7. Region of Namibia Namib Web
  8. Omaheke Region Constituencies Archived 2008-12-31 at the Wayback Machine Electoral Commission of Namibia
  9. Election Results: Omaheke Region Election Watch Namibia
  10. "Regional Council Election Results 2015". Electoral Commission of Namibia. 3 December 2015. pp. 15–16. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015.
  11. Menges, Werner (29 November 2015). "Mixed results for opposition in regional polls". The Namibian.
  12. Laura McLeod Namibia Institute for Democracy Archived February 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  13. Maletsky, Christof (20 February 2006). "Swapo members ordered to toe line - or face the music". The Namibian. He [Festus Ueitele] was supported by Omaheke Governor Laura McLeod. "You must comply".
  14. Haufiku, Mathias (2013-03-25). "Namibia: Governor Kamehozu Loses Battle Against Cancer". New Era. AllAfrica.com. Retrieved 2013-03-25.
  15. Immanuel, Shinovene (22 April 2013). "Pohamba continues to pave way for Geingob". The Namibian.
  16. "President announces governors". The Namibian. 10 April 2015. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015.
  17. Duddy, Jo Maré (11 April 2013). "Unemployment rate still alarmingly high". The Namibian. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013.
  18. A point on the line lies within the region. 20°55′S 20°55′E
  19. Olusoga, David and Erichsen, Casper W (2010). The Kaiser's Holocaust. Germany's Forgotten Genocide and the Colonial Roots of Nazism. Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-23141-6

22°00′S 19°30′E

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